Forgiveness
by sentinel10
Summary: He looked so handsome, as he'd always looked. No matter how much time would ravage him, no matter how much time moved between them, he would always be beautiful to her.


**I do not own Twilight**

* * *

><p><span>Forgiveness<span>

...

Nothing compares  
>No worries or cares<br>Regrets and mistakes  
>And memories made<br>Who would have known  
>How bittersweet<br>This would taste

...

"You look nervous" Leah smiled as she stood, her shoulder propped against the frame of the door so she could watch his every movement. The movements she had previously memorised down to the T. His brown eyes that were downcast immediately shot to the mirror, his face stricken in a stunned expression. The blinking fit he seemed to be having amused her further. She always did love shocking him at every chance she got. "Didn't think I'd come right?" She smirked watching as his mouth still hung open, his fingers frozen around the loose tie on his neck.

He looked so handsome, as he'd always looked. No matter how much _time_ would ravage him, no matter how much time moved between them, he would always be beautiful to her.

"Leah?" He finally whispered, his throat suddenly dry and hoarse like he'd been screaming all night. He couldn't believe she'd come, but here she was. Her hair tousled from the light afternoon breeze drifting through the house, her feet bare and her body draped with a light cotton dress, a bow tied perfectly under the bust. She was radiant, more beautiful than he'd remembered, more alive than when she'd left.

"Geez..." She complained, rolling her eyes playfully. "You guys imprint and you barely even remember my name"

His face fell immediately, his head bowing back down to accompany his fingers as they nervously twiddled with his tie. Even though she'd meant it as a joke he still felt the guilt wash over him like an avalanche. It had almost been 3 years since he'd imprinted on her cousin, since he'd broken he heart, since he'd-

"Cut it out Sam" She chilled, walking towards him and motioning him to stand. She knew he still felt terrible from the whole imprinting escapade. She'd been angry - really, _really_ angry - enough to kill him with his bare hands even when her daddy had blocked the door way and caught her as she tried to push her way through, gun cocked and against her shoulder. She'd been angry at herself for not being his everything, not being good enough. Then she'd used that anger and taken it out on the whole pack, called them names they hadn't deserved and hurt them in ways she herself was hurting. Emotionally. Physically. Mentally.

He complied silently as she pulled his hands away from his collar and flipped it up herself. "You were always hopeless with ties Samuel" She smiled, taking the ends and threading them through perfectly. Even in junior high when he'd taken her to a dance she patiently explained to him the simple dynamics of a tie. Thread it properly and it will hold against almost anything. Place the slip through the wrong area and it would unravel and fall away.

"I know" He smiled sadly, his head still down, watching as her fingers slowly pressed the knot of his tie upward. "That's not the only thing I've been hopeless with"

Amused, Leah snorted and shook her head, lying the tie down against his chest and brushing the creases from his white undershirt away. "Modesty is a good look for you Sam" Letting her fingers still to feel the gentle beat of his heart she sighed and turned to look in the mirror.

There they stood. Not a year barely between them yet both looking so different - happier. It had taken a long time to stop loving him, to stop loving him how she used to. She'd given into the fact that even though she couldn't stand him in large doses, she still loved him. She'd always love him - just _differently_.

"How are you, how have you been?" He breathed, his eyes following her gaze to the mirror, it's reflection making his heart jump. She'd been his first everything and even though she wouldn't be the last, she still held a pedestal position in his heart. It was only fitting that she did. She stolen her first kiss from his very lips.

Meeting his eyes in the reflection of the glass she smiled. "Good. Can't you tell?" She answered, cocking her head to the side and laying a hand on her swollen stomach.

His eyes softened as he motioned to press his hand against her, waiting until she gave a nod of approval. "It looks good on you" He smiled as his large palm brushed over the cotton. "Pregnancy"

"Yeah?" She laughed feeling his fingers graze dangerously close to her sides. "Funny, cause I feel like a giant whale. And FYI I am not just missing shoes because the wedding is at the beach."

Her laughter made his lips stretch into a wide grin. "So you're happy?"

Licking her lips she nodded, stopping his hand that was rubbing lazy circles against her baby belly. "I'm going to name him Sam"

"Really?" His eyes lit up, his dark hair doing nothing to hide the ecstatic emotion behind them.

"I figure why the hell not" Taking his hand in hers she squeezed it for a second. "You still mean a lot to me. Probably more than I'd like to admit" The sound of the ebb in her voice made his smile slowly drop into a frown. "This isn't a guilt trip Sam. I just came because - well - you know how it is"

Nodding slowly, he felt her let go of his hand and place it back to his side. He wanted to ask her so many questions, find out about everything she had done while she'd been away, but he thought it better for another day. "Are you staying?" He asked quietly, whispering as if someone was eavesdropping onto their conversation.

"Well - Alpha's orders are to stay until the baby comes, so yeah, I'm staying" She nodded, though slightly annoyed that Jacob thought he could still command her around.

"That would be nice. Emily would love to be there for you - for the baby" His lips tightened almost immediately, awaiting a fierce backlash of abuse. One that never came.

"Tell me about it" She smirked, laying her hand on the bow, feeling little Sammy kick. "I had to escape her before she made me sit down and started making me muffins. She almost ruined her make-up, crying like a baby when she saw me"

Before Sam could say anything Leah cut him off with a slight wave of her hand. "No more talking, it's almost time." Her hands ran across the seem of his jacket to straighten him up before she kicked his ass out of the room to walk down the path to the beach.

"So you and Black right?" Sam asked cautiously, running a hand through his hair and glancing into the mirror. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous as her face lit up and she bit her bottom lip between her teeth, nodding her answer. "You love him right? He treats you good?"

"Yeah Sam. He treats me like I'm the only one he sees." Grinning she tried to wipe the smile off her face. "And I love the big idiot. He may not be perfect or _sane_, but he sees something that makes me feel worth my weight in gold. Given that I probably weigh as much as a wilder beast - that's something pretty special"

"And the girl? The hybrid?"

"She's actually getting married in June. The little snot wants a French wedding, and of course what the spawn wants, the spawn gets." Pausing for a moment she let a sly grin slip across her lips. "Well - _except_ for Jake"

Sam nodded, as he silently led Leah from the room to the front porch, taking the time to hold out his hand and assist her down the steps.

"I'm pregnant - not disabled" She grimaced, though proceeding to take his warm hand and allow him to help.

"I know" He laughed.

Before they could walk to far toward the path, he reached out and grabbed her hand to stop her. "Wait a minute. I want to say something"

Leah stopped, turned on her heel and waited. He looked like he was fighting himself on something, like his words were caught and unable to flow out.

"Well?" She egged, turning to look back onto the path, almost anticipating an angry wolf ready to storm up to them and tell them Sam was running late. As usual.

Not knowing how to put it he simply let the first thing that came to his mind slip. "I love you" The silence was uneasy but only lasted a second, like the breeze had suddenly made everything okay again.

"I know Sam" She smiled as she stepped forward and hugged him as close as she could without killing him with her giant stomach. "And thank you."

"For what exactly?" He chuckled as he pulled away to tuck a piece of fallen hair from her eyes.

"It took me three years to figure out _how_ I was able to leave LaPush with the Cullen's so easily. I was hurt you know - expecting the whole wolf armada to be waiting at the treating line to kidnap me and drag me back. I was disappointed that you didn't care-"

Before he could butt in she was already there, placing her hand over his mouth. "But you did. That's why you made it easy for me to go."

"I didn't want to" He frowned, thinking back onto the day Paul had come back yammering on about Jacob and the Cullen's moving to Alaska and taking Leah and Seth with them.

"I know" She grinned. "So thank you. Thank you for letting me go - when all I wanted to do was stay" Kissing him softly on the cheek, she smiled, hearing a low familiar growl, coming from a large wolf who had his sights set and was stomping towards them.

"Uley" Jacob hissed, pulling Leah backwards into his chest and letting his arms snake around her to hold her stomach, somewhat out of instinct to protect his mate and pup from the other Alpha.

"Black" Sam nodded back with a smile. "I guess I'll see you round?"

"Yeah Sam. I'll be around" Leah watched from over her shoulder as Sam passed them and began his descent down the path and to his future wife.

"You just had to kiss him right? You did it just to piss me off?" Jacob grumbled, burying his face in the crook of her neck and rubbing his palms over her mid section.

She knew if Jacob kept rubbing her like that, that she would have no choice but the ravish him to death before they got to the wedding. She doubted her brother would be impressed having to sit next to them reeking of each other's scent. "As a friend. I kissed him - as a friend" She insisted, giggling as Jacob started to drop lazy wet kisses along her neck, making her hormones spike.

"Yeah well - can I kill him - as a friend?"

Laughing whole heartedly, Leah stepped out of his arms and dragged him by the hand to the ceremony."You're impossible Black"

"And you're beautiful Clearwater. More reason to marry my ass" He grinned as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her close as they walked.

"If that was a proposal you seriously need to work on it" She smiled, allowing her hand to wrap around his waist.

"Well I have forever you know" He whispered, kissing her temple as their feet hit the sand.

Smiling to herself as they drew nearer to the huge white tents on the beach she nodded. "I know Jacob. Trust me - I know"

...

Sometimes it lasts in love  
>But sometimes it hurts instead<p>

~ Adele – Someone Like You ~

...


End file.
